What now?

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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befriend
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What now?

Post by befriend »

After meditating normally doing Anapanasati and metta I have realized I cannot meditate due to my mental illness. Although this is kind of a tragedy I think I can still progress in the Dhamma maybe I'll aim at heaven not nibbana. It's hard because I've come to a point where meditation was hugely more enjoyable than music drawing or sports. Those activities made me feel restlessness afterwards. I can spend my time reading suttas, helping my parents, and letting go of afflictive thoughts have right speech and be as virtuous as possible and practice 8 precepts. I'm not going to give up my headaches weren't from over exertion they were from schizophrenia. Sorry for the rant but I just wanted to share that and if anyone has any ideas on ways I can develop spiritually without meditation please share thanks.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
befriend
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Re: What now?

Post by befriend »

Lyndon Taylor if your still around the forum I'd love your advice.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Virgo
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Re: What now?

Post by Virgo »

If schizophrenia is the cause of the headaches, why would you stop meditating? Does meditation actually contribute to them? If so maybe there is a work-around perhaps walking meditation could help?

Kevin
befriend
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Re: What now?

Post by befriend »

I did 20 minutes of metta today and could feel this pressure on the right side of my head then after I meditated I became symptomatic.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
befriend
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Re: What now?

Post by befriend »

My practice added to the schizophrenia is causing the headaches
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
befriend
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Re: What now?

Post by befriend »

It's not really a headache it's like this psychic pressure pushing on my brain. I don't know what it actually is
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: What now?

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

The Basic Method of Meditation | by Ajahn Brahm

Recently I heard of one man on his first ten-day retreat. After the first day his body was hurting so much he asked to go home. The teacher said, “Stay one more day and the pain will disappear, I promise”. So he stayed another day, the pain got worse so he wanted to go home again. The teacher repeated, “Just one more day, the pain will go”. He stayed for a third day and the pain was even worse. For each of nine days, in the evening he would go to the teacher and, in great pain, ask to go home and the teacher would say, “Just one more day and the pain will disappear”. It was completely beyond his expectations, that on the final day when he started the first sit of the morning, the pain did disappear! It did not come back. He could sit for long periods with no pain at all! He was amazed at how wonderful is this mind and how it can produce such unexpected results. So, you don’t know about the future. It can be so strange, even weird, completely beyond whatever you expect. Experiences like this give you the wisdom and courage to abandon all thoughts about the future and all expectation as well.

https://bswa.org/teaching/basic-method- ... ahn-brahm/
Is your headache permanent or impermanent?

I also do psychiatric treatment, taking medicines for 5 years and I really enjoy seeing how much I have changed and how I improved.

Once upon a time I could not leave the house. today I can do volunteer work in some spiritual centers.


:namaste:
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Pondera
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Re: What now?

Post by Pondera »

Had that for four years of my life, befriend. In my early twenties. Right in the centre of my mind. I called it “the grip”. Hurt so much I couldn’t feel it.

After four years I accepted that I was going to live with this my whole life and started living. I went to the gym every day. Ran an hour a day. Lost 50 pounds. Got a job in a kitchen. Had a lot of fun. And one night it unravelled. As suddenly as it had come, it left.

Then I had a cloud of feeling where there had been no feeling for four years. I meditated in that darkness steadily for about seven months. After seven months of intense concentration I couldn’t purge anything else from my mind. I was staying at a youth hostel when I reached nibanna - cessation of perception and feeling.

My advise - hard to say. I’ve never met anyone with this conditiOn before. My doctor called it a psychosomatic headache. He tried to tell me it was the muscles around my skull. Lol. Yeah right. It was the abyss compressed into one little stress ball.

My advise ... excercise. Concentrate on the pressure. Don’t ever give up trying to unravel that stress ball. It will come undone one day. Right now you are bound. The teachings of the Buddha are exactly for people who are bound in their mind. And unbinding is the outcome of excercise, moderate eating, doing something which keeps you on your feet all day.

I can’t tell you how to beat it. But it will come undone when the time is right. You’ve also got to be with people. You need positive vibes around you from others. It’s a good way to loosen up the pressure. That and a little Lithium always does the trick.

Just wait until the tension is gone. That’s when the fun really starts ;)
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
User1249x
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Re: What now?

Post by User1249x »

imo do less metta for now and focus more on the four satipatthana,
get well and teach others who have similar condition.
do not give up on the highest.
gl
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Pondera
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Re: What now?

Post by Pondera »

I thought this might be a good source for you, befriend, to draw inspiration from. I know I can relate to it a lot
/Aṅguttara Nikāya
1. Book of the Ones
21–40. A Single Thing

21.

“I don’t envision a single thing that, when undeveloped, is as unpliant as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped, is unpliant.”

22.

“I don’t envision a single thing that, when developed, is as pliant as the mind. The mind, when developed, is pliant.”
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
befriend
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Re: What now?

Post by befriend »

Thank you pondera it's pretty bad as my situation has not changed. Every time I think a wholesome thought something as trivial as oh I'll clean up my coffee filter so my father can use it. This causes my headache if a negative or neutral thought arises there is no headache. I am aware of some adhammic spirit has been residing in me since my late teens now that I have been more proactive in practice it's pulling out all the stops to prevent me from cultivating what is wholesome. I can eek out a handful of positive thoughts during the day but aside from that the best Buddhism I can do is simply follow the precepts and be giving. It's all very unfortunate I will check out dharma wheel and see about spirit harm. Thank you all for your efforts.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: What now?

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

It often happens that meditators start breath meditation when their mind is still jumping around between past and future, and when awareness is being drowned by the inner commentary. With no preparation they find breath meditation so difficult, even impossible, and give up in frustration. They give up because they did not start at the right place. They did not perform the preparatory work before taking up the breath as a focus of their attention. However, if your mind has been well prepared by completing these first two stages then you will find when you turn to the breath, you can sustain your attention on it with ease. If you find it difficult to keep attention on your breath then this is a sign that you rushed the first two stages. Go back to the preliminary exercises! Careful patience is the fastest way.

https://bswa.org/teaching/basic-method- ... ahn-brahm/



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http://www.acessoaoinsight.net/
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